As many of you know, my family and I spent our summer in Hawaii. Since we are on a very limited budget this trip took excessive planning, budgeting and thought. Finding affordable accommodations during the summer in Hawaii when tourism is at a peak was a nightmare.
Since we are planning another vacation this Christmas to Manhattan I wanted to find a better way to plan our travels. New York is busy even during non-peak travel times, so I was looking for ways to make the planning process less stressful and hectic this Christmas. That’s when I started reading about the Capital One Venture Card and I was really excited about what I learned. I don’t usually get excited about credit cards and financial stuff, but the more research I have done the more blown away I am by what the Capital One Venture Card has to offer and I just had to share it with you guys.
Traveling with a family, while in the midst of a costly med school program can be stressful to say the least. That is why I was really excited to find out Capital One Venture Card offers double reward miles without restrictions commonly found in other reward programs. Yes, I said DOUBLE! This benefit alone can save you so much money, but that isn’t all. With the Venture Card your reward miles can go towards any travel-related expense – hotels, Uber rides, cruises, etc. They help you out in every aspect of your vacation. You can also book with any airline, which makes for endless possibilities when it comes to flight times and dates. Those are my favorite things about the Venture Card, but there is so much more, check out this site for all the details!
With all this in mind I thought I would share a few simple tips for those of you who, like me, are just finalizing your holiday travel plans:
- Pack light. I ALWAYS overpack and end up lugging around a bag of clothes and shoes that I only wear half of. I am trying to be more strict with myself and ask ‘do I need this?’ before I place anything in my suitcase.
- Research your destination. It isn’t hard to find the popular tourist activities at most destinations, but if you do a little online digging before you go you will find so much more. I always love finding little known, local treasures. Lots of times you will come across beautiful hikes and parks that are free and less crowded which can help save you some money and stress.
- Comparison shop. Don’t just search one airline or one hotel website. Shop around. Most of the time the first website you click on isn’t necessarily the best deal. As I mentioned above the Venture Card is good for all travel related expenses. There is no need to stick with just one airline or hotel chain.
- Prepare for the worst. Expect crowds, delays and traffic during the holidays. I find if I mentally prepare myself for stressful situations that I am less frustrated when they happen. Bring a book or another form of entertainment to fill your waiting time just in case.
I hope you all have some really fun plans for the holiday and that these tips can help you with your holiday vacation planning. Let me know in the comments where you are spending the holidays this year! xoxo
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
